Island



(No Model.)

D. 85 F. D. ALMY STEAM GAGE.

No. 595,844. Patented De0.Z1,1897.

INYENTUHE W'I TNEEEIE UNITED STATES PATENT EErcE.

DARI/VIN ALMY AND FRANK D. ALMY, OF PROVIDENCE, RI-IODE ISLAND.

STEAM GAG E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 595,844, datedDecember 21, 1897.

Application filed JanuarylQ, 1897. Serial No. 619,724. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, DARWIN ALMY and FRANK DELANO ALMY, of Providence,in the county of- Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Steam-Gages; and we hereby declare thatthe following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same,reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification.

This invention has reference to an improvement in a device secured to asteam-gage by which the steam is made to press on the surface of a bodyof Water, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

Steam-gages are usually connected to an inverted siphon, so that thewater of condensation will collect in the siphon, and the steam exertsthe pressure on the water in the pipe forming the leg of the siphonconnected with the steam-supply. Inverted siphons are apt to affect thereliability of the steam-gage by the variation of the column of water inthe leg of the siphon connected with the steam-pipe. They are liable tofreeze in cold weather and it requires time and patience to thaw themout.

One object of this invention is to secure greater reliability andaccuracy.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the attachment thatthe heat of the steam will melt any ice formed in the siphon.

Another object of the invention is to'provide means for drawing off thewater from the device.

To this end the invention consists in the peculiar and novelconstruction of the device, whereby the steam exerts its pressure on abody of water under practically uniform conditions, as will be morefully set forth hereinafter.

Figure 1 is a front view of a steam-gage, showing the device forming thesubject of this invention secured thereto. Fig. 2 is a verticalsectional View of the device. Fig. 3 is an edge view of the device!Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

In the drawings, A indicates the steam gage 5 B, the device attached tothe steamgage, consisting of the shell 0, preferably ofcircularformfhaving either or both of the sides d cl, or, if desired,only one side (Z, flattened, although the shell may be of practicallyspherical form. The device is provided at its upper end with thescrew-threaded nipple c, by which it is connected with the steamgage.The interior is divided by the partitions f and 9 into the passages hand iand the central space is, which is connected with the passage '5 bythe opening Z at the upper part and with the passage 0% at the lowerpart. The passage h extends upward through the nipple e and the passagei downward through the valve-case n and connects with theinternally-screw-threaded cup 0, to which the steam-pipe is secured. Thecook 19 controls the passage 2' and serves to let on or shut ofi thesteam. The screw-plug (1 may be unscrewed when it is desired to drainthe water from the device, and, if desired, a small petcock may be usedin place of the screw-plug.

In the preferred form the valve-casing n is made integral with thedevice, but the valvecasing 'n. and cook 19 may be omitted or be placedat any desired place into the pipe connecting the steam-gage with thesteam-supply.

The operation of the device is automatic. When the steam-gage providedwith the device is connected and steam is turned on, the steam rapidlycondenses and the water of condensation collects in the central chamberis.

The pressure of the steam acting on the surface of the condensed waterraises the water through the passage it into the tube of the steam gage.The condensation continues until the chamber kis filled with water andthe steam-pressure is exerted on the water in the opening Z. All thewater of condensation in the passage 11 flows down that passage, and thewater-level in the chamber is always maintained at the samelevel-namely, in the normal condition in the opening Z at the point ofoverflow. The variation in the static pressure of the water is limitedto the vertical distance between openings land m, which in practice isnot appreciable.

When ,as frequently happens in the inverted siphon heretofore used, thewater freezes to a greater or less extent in the device, by turning onthe steam the same flows through the passage 11 and heats the partitiong,which soon melts all ice in the chamber is. The steam also comes intocontact with the upper part too of the partition f and heats the ice orwater in the passage h, so that any ice in the device will soon bemelted. Water should, however, be drawn off from the device and thesteamgage when there is any danger of freezing by the'unscrewing of theplug q or the opening of any petcock used in its place.

We are aware that a siphon-chamber of approximately circular form hasbeen heretofore side to the lower part of the case a large centralwater-chamber and large ducts or passages are secured and the steam actsdirectly on the surface of the water in the central Chamber.

Having thus described our invention, we

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The combinationwith a steam-gage, of a hollow shell, of approximately circular form,having two oppositely-disposed openings,and partitions, dividing theinterior into the passages 'i and to, extending along the outerperiphery of the shell and the central circular space 70, whereby thewater of condensation is collected in the central space, the channelconnecting with the gage connects with the central water-space at thelowest part of the shell and the steam acts on the water in the centralspace at the highest part of the shell, as described.

In witness whereof we have hereu nto set our hands.

DARWIN ALHY. FRANK D. ALMY.

WVitnesses:

JOSEPH A. MILLER, J 1:, M. F. BLIGII.

